United States War Production Board Helena District Office records
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of office files (1941-1946) for the Helena district office of the United States War Production Board (WPB). There are three subgroups: general office files, mining division files, and salvage division files. General office files consist primarily of the correspondence of district manager Oscar A. Baarson with other WPB offices, and with companies and individuals around the state. In addition the subgroup includes a subject file, minutes of various related organizations, and miscellany. The Mining Division subgroup includes correspondence of Technical Advisor for Mining William M. Manning with other WPB Mining division administrators, a subject file on mining operators and strategic minerals, and a card file on mines. After Manning's death April 1, 1945, Oscar Baarson became the Acting Technical Advisor for Mining. The Salvage Division subgroup includes correspondence of E.J. Keeley and the Montana State Salvage Committee with other WPB salvage operations, and with private companies; correspondence of the Women's Division; and press releases, reports, and general subject files.
Dates
- Creation: 1941-1946
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection open for research. Some material housed in Archives Map Case. See inventory below for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
Biographical / Historical
The United States War Production Board (WPB) was established in the Office of Emergency Management on January 16, 1942, to continue the work of the Office of Production Management and the Supply Priorities and Allocations Board. The WPB was assigned the task of coordinating and directing war procurement and production programs in federal agencies as well as in the private sector. At the end of World War II, the WPB was terminated and its functions transferred to the Civilian Production Administration (CPA). The Helena district office was opened in June 1942 under the direction of Oscar A. Baarson. The Helena office operated in turn under the Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and finally, Minneapolis regional offices. Baarson's staff included Thomas Caverly, Emergency Coordinator of Mines; William M. Manning, Technical Advisor for Mining; and E. J. Keeley, coordinator for the Salvage Division. The primary function of the Helena office was to coordinate enforcement of federal regulations involving mines in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, and Washington. Each mine in the state was required to apply for a serial number authorizing it to purchase equipment and supplies as a vital war industry. Gold mines were deemed non-essential and were forced to close under regulation L-208. The Helena office closed in January 1946.
Extent
7.5 linear feet
Abstract
The Helena, Montana, district office of the United States War Production Board was established in June 1942 to coordinate production of minerals and other materials for World War II. Records primarily consist of general office correspondence of district manager Oscar A. Baarson; Mining Division correspondence of mining technical advisor William M. Manning and subject files on mine operators in Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, and Wyoming; and general correspondence of salvage coordinator E. J. Keeley. Also included are press releases, minutes, reports and general subject files.
Arrangement
Arranged by subgroup and series
Physical Location
12:7-1
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request
Geographic
Topical
- Government and Politics
- Housing -- Montana
- Idaho
- Labor relations -- Montana
- Manganese mines and mining
- Military
- Mines and Mineral Resources
- Mines and Mineral Resources -- Idaho
- Mines and Mineral Resources -- Montana
- Mines and Mineral Resources -- Oregon
- Mines and Mineral Resources -- South Dakota
- Mines and Mineral Resources -- Washington (State)
- Mining claims -- Montana
- Oregon
- Salvage (waste, etc.) -- Montana
- Washington (State)
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Civil defense
- World War, 1939-1945 -- War work
- Title
- Guide to the United States War Production Board Helena District Office records 1941-1946
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by MHS staff
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov